TAKING SIDES: Clashing Views in Gender, Fourth Edition
UNIT 1
DEFINITIONS AND CULTURAL BOUNDARIES: A MOVING TARGET Issue 1. Is Anatomy Destiny? YES: Anne Campbell, from “X and Y: It’s a Jungle Out There,” Psychology, Evolution & Gender (August 2001) NO: Richard Wilson, from “Puncturing the Genome Myth: Why the Genetic Code Fails to Explain Gendered Behaviour,” Psychology, Evolution & Gender (2001)
Psychologist Anne Campbell argues
that gene-level discoveries about the X and Y chromosomes give
insight into differences between females and males. Richard Wilson
suggests that environmental and social factors explain gendered
behavior better than the genetic code.Issue 2. Is Gender Identity Innate?YES: Frederick L. Coolidge, Linda L. Thede, and Susan E. Young, from “The Heritability of Gender Identity Disorder in a Child and Adolescent Twin Sample,” Behavior Genetics (2002) NO: Carla Golden, from “The Intersexed and the Transgendered: Rethinking Sex/Gender,” in J. C. Chrisler, C. Golden and P. D. Rozee, eds., Lectures on the Psychology of Women, 3rd ed. (McGraw-Hill, 2004)
In an analysis of twins, Fredrick L. Coolidge, along with Linda L. Thede and Susan E. Young, document that gender identity disorder has a strong heritable component, suggesting that gender identity is more a matter of biology than choice. Carla Golden argues that the diagnosis of gender identity disorder is problematic. It is the socially constructed nature of sex and gender that has problematized some forms of gender expression while privileging others.Issue 3. Do Sex Differences in Careers in Mathematics and Sciences Have a Biological Basis? YES: Steven Pinker, from “The Science of Gender and Science: Pinker vs. Spelke,” The Edge (May 16, 2005) NO: Elizabeth Spelke, from “The Science of Gender and Science: Pinker vs. Spelke,” The Edge (May 16, 2005)
Steven Pinker reviews arguments supporting the claim that there is a biological basis for gender differences in math and science. Elizabeth Spelke argues that the underrepresentation of women in the sciences is due to environmental factors.
UNIT 2
DIFFERENT STROKES: THE QUESTION OF DIFFERENCE Issue 4. Are Women and Men More Similar Than Different? YES: Janet Shibley Hyde, from “The Gender Similarities Hypothesis,” American Psychologist (2005) NO: Kingsley R. Browne, from Biology at Work: Rethinking Sexual Equality (Rutgers University Press, 2002)
Psychology professor Janet Shibley Hyde of the University of Wisconsin at Madison argues that claims of gender differences are overinflated, resulting in serious consequences for women and men in the workplace and in relationships. Kingsley R. Browne, a professor at Wayne State University Law School, claims that the differences are real, rooted in biology.Issue 5. Are Different Patterns of Communication in Women and Men Innately Determined? YES: Louann Brizendine, from The Female Brain (2006) NO: Brenda J. Allen, from Difference Matters: Communicating Social Identity (Waveland Press, 2004)
Louann Brizendine argues that women’s brains are hard-wired to communicate differently from men, suggesting on the jacket of her book “men will develop a serious case of brain envy.” In contrast, Brenda J. Allen argues that socialization leads to forms of communication that are based on power and privilege.Issue 6. Are the Fight-or-Flight and Tend-and-Befriend Responses to Stress Gender-Based? YES: Shelley E. Taylor, Brian P. Lewis, Tara L. Gruenewald, Regan A. R. Gurung, John A. Updegraff, and Laura C. Klein, from “Sex Differences in Behavioral Responses to Threat: Reply to Geary and Flinn,” Psychological Review (2002) NO: David C. Geary and Mark V. Flinn, from “Sex Differences in Behavioral and Hormonal Response to Social Threat: Commentary on Taylor et al.,” Psychological Review (2002)
Shelley E. Taylor and her colleagues, in a review of the literature, conclude that there is an evolutionarily based biobehavioral mechanism that underlies women’s tend-and-befriend response to stress. David C. Geary and his colleagues extend Taylor’s arguments to include men’s tending and befriending behaviors and female-female competition.
UNIT 3
VIOLENCE IN THE DAILY LIVES OF WOMEN AND MEN Issue 7. Are Expressions of Aggression Related to Gender? YES: Jacquelyn W. White, Patricia L. N. Donat, and Barrie Bondurant, from “A Developmental Examination of Violence Against Girls and Women,” in R. Unger, ed., Handbook of the Psychology of Women and Gender (John Wiley & Sons, 2001) NO: Richard B. Felson, from Violence and Gender Reexamined (American Psychological Association, 2002)
Social psychologist Jacquelyn W. White and her colleagues conclude, based on a review of the literature, that girls and women are highly likely to be the targets of male aggression and are less likely to use physical aggression than men due to different developmental experiences. Social psychologist Richard B. Felson argues that aggression is related to physical strength and a general tendency toward violence, not male domination, and that there is not an epidemic of violence against women.Issue 8. Gender Symmetry: Do Women and Men Commit Equal Levels of Violence Against Intimate Partners?YES: Murray A. Straus and Ignacio Luis Ramirez, from “Gender Symmetry in Prevalence, Severity, and Chronicity of Physical Aggression Against Dating Partners by University Students in Mexico and USA,” Aggressive Behavior (2007) NO: Suzanne C. Swan and David L. Snow, from “The Development of a Theory of Women’s Use of Violence in Intimate Relationships,” Violence Against Women (2006)
Murray A. Straus and his colleague Ignacio Luis Ramirez argue that women are just as likely to commit physical aggression against dating partners as are men, suggesting that gender symmetry exists in different cultural contexts. On the other hand, social psychologist Suzanne C. Swan and colleague David L. Snow argue that women’s use of aggression does not equate to gender symmetry. Rather cultural context, motives, and history of trauma must be considered.Issue 9. Does Pornography Reduce the Incidence of Rape? YES: Anthony D’Amato, from “Porn Up, Rape Down,” Northwestern University School of Law, Public Law and Legal Theory Research Series (June 23, 2006) NO: Judith Reisman, from “Pornography’s Link to Rape,” Worldnet Daily.com (July 29, 2006)
Professor of law Anthony D’Amato highlights statistics from the most recent National Crime Victimization Survey that demonstrate a correlation between the increased consumption of pornography over the years with the decreased incidence of rape. Some people, he argues, watch pornography in order to push any desire to rape out of their minds, and thus have no further desire to go out and actually do it. Judith Reisman, president of the Institute for Media Education, asserts that sex criminals imitate what they see depicted in the media, providing examples of serial rapists and killers who had large stores of pornography in their possession, and research in which approximately 33 percent of rapists said that they had viewed pornography immediately prior to at least one of their rapes.
UNIT 4
FROM OZZIE AND HARRIET TO MY TWO DADS: GENDER IN CHILDHOOD Issue 10. Should Same-Sex Couples Be Able to Marry?YES: Larry A. Kurdek, from “Are Gay and Lesbian Cohabiting Couples Really Different from Heterosexual Married Couples?” Journal of Marriage and Family (November 2004) NO: Peter Sprigg, from Questions and Answers: What’s Wrong with Letting Same-Sex Couples ‘Marry’? (Family Research Council, 2004)
Psychology professor Larry A. Kurdek reports on a longitudinal study comparing gay and lesbian partners with partners from heterosexual married couples with children. For half of the comparisons there were no differences and for 78 percent of the comparisons for which differences were found, gay or lesbian partners functioned better than heterosexual partners. Peter Sprigg, director of the Center for Marriage and Family Studies at the Family Research Council outlines why non-heterosexual relationships do not carry with them the same validity as heterosexual relationships, and therefore non-heterosexuals should not be allowed to marry legally. He states that the rights same-sex couples would get by being able to marry are rights that are already available to them.Issue 11. Can Lesbian and Gay Couples Be Appropriate Parents for Children? YES: American Psychological Association, from “APA Policy Statement on Sexual Orientation, Parents, and Children. Adopted July 2004. NO: Timothy J. Dailey, from “State of the States: Update on Homosexual Adoption in the U.S.,” Family Research Council (2004)
The American Psychological Association’s Council of Representatives adopted this resolution that was drafted by a task force of expert psychologists. The resolution, based on a thorough review of the literature, opposes any discrimination based on sexual orientation and concludes that children reared by same-sex parents benefit from legal ties to each parent. Timothy J. Dailey, senior research fellow at the Center for Marriage and Family Studies, provides an overview of state laws that pertain to adoption by lesbian and gay couples. He points to studies that children do much better in family settings that include both a mother and a father, and that the sexual behaviors same-sex parents engage in make them, by definition, inappropriate role models for children.Issue 12. Are Fathers Essential for Children’s Well-Being?YES: Sara S. McLanahan and Marcia J. Carlson, from “Welfare Reform, Fertility and Father Involvement,” The Future of Children Journal (2002) NO: Peggy Drexler, from Raising Boys Without Men (Rodale Books, 2005)
Sarah S. McLanahan and Marcia J. Carlson, examine the negative effects of father-absence in children’s lives and offer suggestions for how to increase father involvement. In contrast, Peggy Drexler studied what she terms “maverick” moms to show how boys can succeed in homes without fathers.Issue 13. Is Fetal Sex Selection Harmful to Society? YES: Dena S. Davis, from Genetic Dilemmas: Reproductive Technology, Parental Choices, and Children’s Futures (Routledge, 2001) NO: Rosamond Rhodes, from “Ethical Issues in Selecting Embryos,” Annals of the New York Academy of Science (2001)
Dena S. Davis argues that fetal sex selection is an ethical issue because it is really about gender selection that promotes traditional stereotypes and can interfere with a child’s right to an open future. Rosamond Rhodes describes the acceptable scope of fetal sex selection, as well as professional responsibilities of practitioners of reproductive medicine.
UNIT 5
FROM 9 TO 5: GENDER IN THE WORLD OF WORK Issue 14. Does the “Mommy Track” (Part-Time Work) Improve Women’s Lives? YES: E. Jeffrey Hill, Vjollca K. Märtinson, Maria Ferris, and Robin Zenger Baker, from “Beyond the Mommy Track: The Influence of New-Concept Part-Time Work for Professional Women on Work and Family,” Journal of Family and Economic Issues (2004) NO: Mary C. Noonan and Mary E. Corcoran, from “The Mommy Track and Partnership: Temporary Delay or Dead End?” The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science (2004)
Brigham Young University colleagues E. Jeffrey Hill and Vjollca K. Martinson, along with Maria Ferris of IBM and Robin Zenger Baker at Boston University, suggest that women in professional careers can successfully integrate family and career by following a new-concept part-time work model. In contrast, Mary C. Noonan, an assistant professor in the department of sociology at the University of Iowa, and Mary E. Corcoran, a professor of political science at the University of Michigan, document the various costs of the mommy track for female attorneys, including lower salaries and decreased likelihood of promotion to partner.Issue 15. Can Social Policies Improve Gender Inequalities in the Workplace? YES: Hilda Kahne, from “Low-Wage Single-Mother Families in This Jobless Recovery: Can Improved Social Policies Help?” Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy (2004) NO: Hadas Mandel and Moshe Semyonov, from “A Welfare State Paradox: State Interventions and Women’s Employment Opportunities in 22 Countries,” American Journal of Sociology (2006)
Hilda Kahne, professor emerita at Wheaton College in Massachusetts and a member of the Scholars Program and a Resident Scholar at Brandeis University, makes the argument that incomplete education and few training programs, rather than gender discrimination, makes it more difficult for low-wage single mothers to raise their earnings. In contrast, Hadas Mandel of the department of sociology and anthropology and Moshe Semyonov of the department of sociology and labor studies anthropology at Tel Aviv University review extensive data from 22 countries and conclude that social policies have the counterintuitive impact of decreasing women’s opportunities for access to more desirable and powerful positions.Issue 16. Is the Gender Wage Gap Justified? YES: June O’Neill, from “The Gender Gap in Wages,” American Economic Review (2003) NO: Hilary M. Lips, from “The Gender Pay Gap: Concrete Indicator of Women’s Progress Toward Equality,” Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy (2003)
June O’Neill suggests that the gender gap is largely due to nondiscriminatory factors, most notable those associated with women’s choices due to the division of labor in the home. Hilary M. Lips documents the continuing gender gap in wages and argues that a continuing undervaluing of women’s work due to stereotypes and prejudice maintains the wage gap.Issue 17. Are Barriers to Women’s Success as Leaders Due to Societal Obstacles?YES: Alice H. Eagly and Linda L. Carli, from “Women and the Labyrinth of Leadership,” Harvard Business Review (September 2007) NO: Kingsley R. Browne, from Biology at Work: Rethinking Sexual Equality (Rutgers University Press, 2002)
Alice H. Eagly and Linda L. Carli contend that barriers exist for women at every stage of their career trajectories, resulting in, not a glass ceiling, but a labyrinth. Kingsley R. Browne asserts that the division of labor by sex is rooted in biologically based differences between women and men. Evolutionarily based natural selection has led to inclinations that make women and men better suited for different types of jobs.
UNIT 6
GENDER AND SEXUALITY: DOUBLE STANDARDS? Issue 18. Is Female Circumcision Universally Wrong? YES: Gerald Mackie, from “Female Genital Cutting: A Harmless Practice?” Medical Anthropology Quarterly (2003) NO: Carla Makhlouf Obermeyer, from “The Health Consequences of Female Circumcision: Science, Advocacy, and Standards of Evidence,” Medical Anthropology Quarterly (2003)
Gerald Mackie takes a scientific approach to challenge the argument that female genital cutting is not always harmful, citing multiple examples of physical and psychological harm. Carla M. Obermeyer argues that a lack of research precludes us from fully understanding female circumcision and claiming that it is responsible for a variety of harmful health outcomes. She includes examples of no harm.Issue 19. Should “Abstinence-Until-Marriage” Be the Only Message to Teens?YES: Bridget E. Maher, from “Abstinence Until Marriage: The Best Message for Teens,” Family Research Council (2004) NO: Debra Hauser, from Five Years of Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Education: Assessing the Impact (2004)
Bridget E. Maher argues that far too much funding has gone into programs that teach young people about sexuality and contraception—programs that she concludes are ineffective. Debra Hauser, in an evaluation of numerous abstinence-only-until-marriage programs that received funding under the Title V Social Security Act, concludes that they show few short-term benefits and no lasting, positive effects; rather such programs may actually worsen sexual health outcomes.Issue 20. Can Women’s Sexuality Be Free from Traditional Gender Constraints?YES: Elizabeth Sheff, from “Polyamorous Women, Sexual Subjectivity and Power,” Journal of Contemporary Ethnography (2005) NO: Yuko Yamamiya, Thomas F. Cash, and J. Kevin Thompson, from “Sexual Experiences Among College Women: The Differential Effects of General Versus Contextual Body Images on Sexuality,” Sex Roles (2006)
Elizabeth Sheff conducted an ethnographic study that suggests that engaging in nontraditional relationships can help women reject sexual objectification and enlarge their sexual subjectivity. In contrast, Yuko Yamamiya, Thomas F. Cash, and J. Kevin Thompson suggest that the objectification of women’s bodies in Western culture results in lower sexual self-efficacy and sexual difficulties.
